This invention relates to a material handling implement which may be carried by a boom of a material handling vehicle. The material handling implement may have a load engageable device which is engageable with a load for example, a load engageable device may comprise a pair of forks of each of which may be received in, for example, a socket of a pallet or the like or it maybe of a block tine type of the kind commonly used in the USA or maybe any other suitable load engageable device.
The material handling vehicle may be of the kind, hereinafter referred to as being of the "kind specified" comprising a structure having ground engageable propulsion means and a material handling means comprising a boom mounted on the structure for raising and lowering swinging movement relative to the structure and driven for said raising and lowering movement by a first drive means and said boom being extendable and being driven for extension or retraction by a second drive means and a material handling implement carried by an outer end part of said boom.
Generally it is desirable to be able to move the loading engageable device of the material handling implement in a sideways direction for example sideways generally normal to a boom to which the material handling implement may be attached so as to provide a side shift facility to facilitate sideways alignment of the loading engageable device with the load to be handled by the implement.
Such a side shift facility is particularly useful when the implement is intended to be carried by a boom of a material handling vehicle particularly when it is of the kind specified.
When the implement is intended to be used on a rough terrain material handling vehicle the load engageable device is provided so that it can move or float relative to the vehicle to facilitate engagement with the load even when the vehicle is not accurately in aligned with the load by virtue of being provided on rough terrain.
It is desirable that the material handling implement is provided with such a side shift facility which is capable of attachment to or dis-assemble from a material handling vehicle.
It is also desirable to minimise the additional weight to be carried by such a vehicle.